Three weeks ago, Michigan went to Wisconsin undefeated and left with just its second loss in 33 games. The final score -- 64-54 -- was not representative of how tight the game was. It was within a couple of possessions most of the way until Wisconsin closed with a 7-0 run.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, John Beilein emphasized the importance of valuing every possession against Wisconsin. Michigan was a bit sloppy on both ends in the first meeting and paid for it.

The Wolverines are determined not to let it happen again. "It's a game we've really been looking forward to," forward Brandon Johns Jr. said. "We hope to finish business this Saturday."

The upset of Michigan sparked a six-game win streak for the Badgers, who enter the rematch playing as well as any team in the country in Beilein's eyes. Wisconsin is coming off a 56-51 win at Minnesota on Wednesday. Happ led Wisconsin with 15 points in that one.

One school of thought when the opposing basketball team has a big-time scorer is to pay extra attention to him and make the other guys beat you. Beilein does not subscribe to that theory, at least not when that player is a 2-point shooter and the other guys are shooting 3s.

Michigan didn't double-team Happ very often in the first matchup but the Wolverines were burned by 3s a couple of times when they did. So even though Happ, at 18.3 points per game, averages five more than any other Badger, don't expect Beilein to go all-in trying to stop him.

The 26 points Happ got on 22 shots last time? Michigan can live with that, so long as he doesn't reach the eight assists he got that afternoon.

Keep an eye on the 6-foot-10 Happ at the other end of the floor as well. He often guarded Ignas Brazdeikis in the first matchup. It was the only time all season Michigan's leading scorer failed to score.

"You can't give in and try to do too much," Beilein said Friday." But when you do have an open shot, you can't pass it up."

Most everything Michigan does well -- protect the ball and be patient on offense; force difficult shots without fouling and clean up the glass on defense -- Wisconsin does too. These programs are very similar, and you have to go back six meetings to find an instance where the team that lost the turnover battle won the game.

Every possession will matter, and while Michigan ran into some bad luck in Madison -- Kobe King hit two important 3s and hasn't made one since -- not capitalizing on fast-break opportunities didn't help.

Depending on how Saturday goes, Michigan can be the first Big Ten team to 11 wins or create an even bigger logjam at the top of the standings.

Here's Beilein on the subject: "They're competing for the (Big Ten) championship, we are (too), and this game is going to be important in terms of who's eventually going to be the champion between those teams in that top tier."